Enough for one year

"Oh, and Aria!?" Stephen called out from behind her.

Aria turned around and looked at Stephen, who blushed a shade of red and scratched his head as he spoke, "I wanted to tell you that you look beautiful. But that would be wrong, you look stunning everyday. So I. . . .I. . . ."

Aria chuckled, "Your being speechless is compliment enough for me." she said before turning around and walking away from the dance floor.

Stephen stared at Aria's retreating back with a stupid smile on his face. He had always been a womaniser, and many people had disliked him. But Stephen never really cared what people thought. But he had just realised that it really mattered to him what Aria thought of him.

Today was the first time she had talked to him with a smile, she had even complimented him and Stephen felt over the moon.

Aria slowly became the main attraction of Joseph's birthday party as everyone wanted to meet her.

She was constantly asked to dance and danced back to back dances, no one getting a second dance with her, not even the birthday boy Joseph, until the last dance.

It was the last dance and a friend of Joseph's from the academy had just asked Aria to dance when Joseph angrily came in between them.

He looked his friend in the eye and said, "No. It's my birthday. And I want this dance."

Aria rolled her eyes with a smile as his friend laughed and patted his shoulder, saying, "Okay man. Don't look like you'll murder me. You can have this dance with Aria. But tell me something, you don't mind if I ask your sister, do you?"

Joseph glared at his friend and said, "Only of you take proper care of her."

"It's just a dance. Geez!" his friend muttered and walked away.

Aria chuckled as Joseph turned to face him, "Such childish behaviour doesn't suit the commander's son you know?"

Joseph replied as he bowed, "I don't care. Today is the only day you won't say no to me."

"And you're going to harass your friends for that?" Aria asked as she put her hand in his.

The last dance ended and it was finally time to cut the cake. Joseph tried to ask Lady Scott to allow a few more dances but she denied, saying that he had already danced enough for one year.

Aria walked away from the crowd which gathered around Joseph as a huge, five layered cake was brought out of the kitchen.

Aria was very tired and sweaty all over, and really wanted a place to sit down. She had been dancing non-stop for all the dances and now her feet were feeling them.

Aria silently walked away from all the hubhub and out of the ball room. She picked up a glass of juice on the way and walked to an adjoining balcony.

Aria leaned on the railing with her drink in hand and closed her eyes. Her lips curved into a smile as Aria felt the wind in her hair. She was contemplating whether to take off her heels and massage her feet when her eyes popped open due to a gasp.